Updated 10/20/2023 : in brackets
On April 29, 2022, Augusta County will celebrate the grand opening of the Dooms Crossing – South River access point. This long-awaited river access, Augusta County’s first, is the culmination of years of collaboration between federal agencies, state partners, and local and regional businesses. Completely funded through grants, this premiere addition to Augusta County Parks and Recreation department’s offerings will improve opportunities for recreation, fishing, tubing, and boating.
Director of Parks and Recreation, Andy Wells, stated, “Because of the diligent and complex work done by our county engineers to secure funding, Augusta County citizens can enjoy a unique amenity that connects them to a one-of-a-kind outdoor experience at no expense.”
Environmental, Ecological Impact
The South River is home to a diverse and vibrant wildlife population for fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching. The American eel, brook trout, and freshwater mussels are among the aquatic life that may benefit from the restoration of this part of the river, and a variety of river birds, bald eagles, and two species with state or national level conservation status call the South River home. This project helps to conserve the water quality, aquatic habitats, and wildlife and fish populations of the South River.
Economical Impact
The Dooms Crossing access point will also improve Augusta County’s ability to attract outdoor enthusiasts and anglers. A 2016 study by the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) estimated that 14,000 fishing trips were taken on the South River between April and September and counted approximately 29,000 non-anglers who used the river during the same timeframe. The economic impacts of this usage during that six-month period include conservative estimates totaling $700,000.
Wayne District’s Board of Supervisor, Dr. Scott Seaton, said, “Convenient water ways such as this provide environmental, social and economic benefits to communities. We can use these boat launch and fishing sites to engage a larger, growing audience and introduce them to all that Augusta County has to offer, benefitting our lodging, retail, and food service industries, among others.”
Use of Dooms Crossing
Dooms Crossing will be open from dawn to dusk for fishing, launching kayaks, canoes or other non-motorized boats. Other activities are prohibited, including camping, fires, consumption of alcoholic beverages, trespassing after/before hours, and the discharge of firearms. For information on fishing licenses, fish consumption advisories, and fishing regulations, see the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources page at https://dwr.virginia.gov/fishing/.
The handcrafted kiosk in the Dooms Crossing parking lot provides information about the site and includes a map of this segment of the waterway. The kiosk was designed and built by Knoched VA and True Craft Sheds, two local artisans who specialize in unique pieces that highlight the use of local, salvaged hardwoods. The map was designed and crafted by local artist and graphic designer, Kenneth (Wil) Wilfong, owner of Mountain Laurel Studio.
Overview and Funding for Dooms Crossing Project
Dooms Crossing is located between river access points in Waynesboro and Crimora. Dooms Crossing is approximately 3 miles downstream from Basic Park in Waynesboro and about 4.5 miles upstream from Crimora Park and enhances the connection between points along the water trail from Waynesboro to Grand Caverns and access sites further north. Improvements to water access will be forthcoming at Crimora Park.
In February 2018, the engineering office in Augusta County’s Community Development department applied for and received two grants as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) process. NRDAR is the result of a settlement agreement between the federal Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commonwealth of Virginia and DuPont that provides funding for restoration of wildlife habitats that were impacted by the release of mercury from the former Dupont facility in Waynesboro over 70 years ago. Mercury entered the South River and South Fork Shenandoah River as well as the habitat next to the rivers and impacted the fish and wildlife living in these habitats as well as the recreational use of the rivers for many years.
County engineers combined two separate grants for a total funding amount of $451,961* to restore and preserve the waterway and provide citizens with opportunities for recreation. [*updated 10/23/23: The Dooms grant total funding amount was $481,555 with $100,000 of the total reserved for the recreation component. The Dooms project completed at a lower cost than the funds applied for, and the final cost of the project was $276,013 for restoration and $100,000 for recreation.] The project initially focused on improving water quality and fish habitat. Augusta County worked with DWR and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) to remove the remnants of a failed dam at Coiner Mill and associated log jams, which created navigational hazards for boaters and impediments for fish migrating upstream to the headwaters of the South River to spawn.
Six hundred feet of eroding bank upstream of the former dam needed to be restored, a formidable task that redirected the use of remnants from the dam to reinforce the bank from additional erosion. The bank area was seeded and live staked using three different tree species to stabilize the area, provide a riparian environment, and improve fish habitat and water quality for the long term. Staff members from DWR were onsite to provide design guidance throughout the bank stabilization process.
Once the restoration segment was complete, the project focused on recreational enhancements. This work included acquisition of more than six acres of floodplain property at the site of the former, historic Coiner Mill Dam. An access roadway to the parking lot, necessary for the construction equipment during the restoration work, was further graded and paved for visitor access. A parking lot with eight parking spaces and one parking space that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides parking for visitors. A gravel trail from the parking area leading to the river access point and a small boat launch allows individuals to conveniently put in non-motorized watercraft.
EGS and Associates, a survey and engineering firm in Staunton, was procured to aid in preliminary engineering as well as the design process. RES was selected as the contractor through a competitive bidding process to conduct site improvement work for the project. RES specializes in in-stream restoration work and is based in Warrenton, VA.
For more information about the Dooms Crossing South River access point, please visit https://www.co.augusta.va.us/government/county-projects/dooms-crossing-south-river-access.
